Barbara (Tolson) Robbins

Barbara E. (Tolson) Robbins, 91 of Worcester passed away home to the Lord Monday, October 17th 2016 with her family by her side.   Barbara was born in Worcester, one of ten children, of Joseph and Jenny (Johnson) Tolson.  After her parents passed, she was raised and educated in New York by her older sister Pearl Saunders and married her first husband Victor Douglas. In 1954 she moved to Worcester where she met and married her second husband George Robbins,Jr. and raised her family.  She lived and worked in Worcester as the first female driver for the City of Worcester assigned to the Belmont Home where she worked, advocated for the City workers as the first female President of the Local 495 union.  Barbara spent the last ten years in Georgia living with  her son George in Lawrenceville  before returning to Worcester.   Notably in Barbara’s life as a middle aged woman, she earned her Associates Degree in Business Management from Holy Cross College.     Barbara’s husband George Robbins Jr. passed away in 2001; she is survived by her devoted children, Victor Douglas of Worcester, George Robbins III of Lawrenceville Ga, Pearl Baptiste of Wilbraham Ma, Dierdra Evans and her husband Billie Lynn Evans, Jr. of Bristol, PA and Robert Fulton of GA. ten grandchildren Dierdra Baptiste, Domingo and (Jodie) Baptiste, Christopher Baptiste, Daytona and (Jemel) Williams,  Danelle Evans, Billie Lynn and (Patsy) Evans III, Danae and (Josh) Gough,Trey Fulton, Riley Fulton and Christopher Nichols, twelve great grandchildren, and a great great grandson.  Many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. Five brothers and four sisters predeceased her.   Barbara was a disciplined woman who truly believed that hard work, faith, church, family and friends were the most important things in her life.  She encouraged her children to excel, in life no matter what, be dedicated to hard work, family, and principles.  She worked hard as president of the Union to insure fairness and employee safety in work environment.   She had room in her heart for everyone she met and would welcome all into her home.  She was very generous with her love, time and resources, and helped anyone she could.  Barbara enjoyed word puzzles, church, western and marital arts movies, dominos and bingo. . Funerals services for Barbara will be held Monday, November 7th at 11:00 am in the Mercandante Funeral Home and  Chapel.  Burial will follow next to her husband George in Hope Cemetery.  A period of calling hours will be held from 10:00 am to 11:00 am Monday, November 7th at the  Funeral Home, prior to the start of the service.